Maybe he could help us

The two went up to the third floor again. Luo Yunhe found a long-established hot pot restaurant and ordered a split pot.

While they waited for the pot and dishes to arrive, they started chatting.

Luo Yunhe asked, "You're from the Gu Family, but how come I've never seen you before?"

Gu Zhiyue lifted his glass and took a sip. "I got lost when I was little. They only just found me."

"Huh? Then did you have a good life before?"

"A very good one. My parents all love me, and even after coming back, I still talk to my mom Qinglan every day."

Luo Yunhe asked cautiously, "Then do your birth parents get angry about that?"

Gu Zhiyue chuckled at that. "What's there to be angry about? They're happy I have another set of parents who care about me. Besides, my adoptive parents and birth parents have been friends for years."

"That's so nice. I really envy that kind of relationship." Luo Yunhe sighed. "My cousin wasn't that lucky."

Gu Zhiyue's interest was piqued. "What happened to your cousin?"

"I can't really get into the specifics. He was switched at birth too. After my uncle and his family found him, I wouldn't say they treated him badly-they treated him pretty well. But I just feel like something's missing. Their relationship with this cousin of mine feels too polite, too distant."

Gu Zhiyue sighed. "Other people's family matters really aren't ours to interfere in, but I believe your cousin will gradually settle into the family."

"I hope so."

The broth bubbled away on the tabletop burner, steam rising straight up as its fragrant, spicy aroma rushed into their noses.

Luo Yunhe picked up the plate of fatty beef rolls. "How could you have hot pot without beef?"

Gu Zhiyue put the potato slices from a plate into both the mushroom broth and the spicy broth. "I can't eat that plate of lamb, but I can have more beef."

Luo Yunhe looked up. "You can't eat lamb? How much happiness are you missing out on?"

Gu Zhiyue nodded with a pout. "Exactly. When I see other people eating lamb skewers or whole roasted lamb, all I can do is smell it and get hungrier. I can't even have a little to satisfy the craving."

"That's so sad. Then I'll order another plate of beef rolls. How about some seafood too?"

"Anything's fine. Other than cilantro and lamb, I'm not picky."

"Then you're pretty easy to feed. There are so many things I can't eat. I can't even try eating something so spicy it makes me cry."

Gu Zhiyue asked, "Um... how's your condition now?"

"The same as always. I have to keep my medicine on me. Sometimes it can flare up out of nowhere, but luckily, I get regular checkups every month. As long as it's well controlled, I'll be fine."

"But you still need to be more careful. Don't ever go out alone from now on. Have at least one person with you, so someone can look after you if anything happens."

Luo Yunhe nodded repeatedly. "My dad was scared half to death at the hospital last time. He assigned another two bodyguards to follow me."

"Then where are they?" Gu Zhiyue bit into a potato slice and glanced around. All he saw were people eating hot pot and the servers.

"They obviously wouldn't follow me out in the open like that. They'll come out if something happens to me."

"Wow~ secret guards."

Luo Yunhe laughed. "The difference is that secret guards carry swords, and they carry walkie-talkies."

After eating, they left the shopping center together. Gu Zhiyue was waiting for Gu Shuoyan to pick him up on his way so they could go home together, while Luo Yunhe's driver had already arrived.

Before getting into the car, Luo Yunhe exchanged contact details with Gu Zhiyue, and then the two parted ways.

When Luo Yunhe got home, his father, Luo Weirong, was in the living room too.

"Dad, why are you home from work so early today?"

Luo Weirong put down his newspaper and gestured for Luo Yunhe to come over. "I finished my work, so I came home. How are you feeling? Are you still uncomfortable anywhere?"

Luo Yunhe sat down beside Luo Weirong. "Dad, why do you ask every day? Don't worry, I'm fine now. What happened last time was purely an accident."

Luo Weirong frowned slightly. "Even the slightest accident calls for vigilance. If someone hadn't helped you last time, who knows what might have happened."

"Hmm? You went out for hot pot? You were in that good a mood all by yourself?"

Luo Yunhe nodded. "Dad, I ran into the person who saved me last time at the shopping center today, so I treated him to a meal. Dad, he actually turned out to be the Gu Family's youngest son!"

"The Gu Family? The Gu Family that everyone in Anzhou has to show respect to?"

"Yes. The Gu Family's youngest son. His name's Gu Zhiyue."

Luo Weirong fell silent for a moment, then said, "It's good that you know him. Getting to know more people of that standing will improve our chances of finding you a transplant donor."

Luo Yunhe put down the glass in his hand. "Dad, we can only take our time with the transplant. Besides, I'm doing pretty well now. As long as it's kept under control, there won't be any major problems."

Luo Weirong sighed. "I just hope we can find a donor soon. The Gu Family has powerful connections. Now that you know their youngest son, he really might be able to help us someday."

"But I..."

"For these eighteen years, it's just been the two of us relying on each other. I only ask one thing of you: stay safe and stay alive."

Luo Yunhe nodded. "I know, Dad."

"All right, go get some rest. I need to take care of a few things in the study."

Luo Yunhe sat alone on the sofa, raising a hand to gently rest it over his heart. It was beating now, each beat tapping against his palm.

There was no knowing when that beating might suddenly stop and never start again.

Luo Yunhe was scared too. He was afraid that one day he would have an attack and never wake up again. He was only eighteen this year. He wanted to live through many more eighteen-year spans.

Luo Yunhe shook his head to shake off those thoughts, then got up and went upstairs to his room.

The car traveled down the road at a steady speed. The window had been lowered halfway, and the wind poured in from outside, blowing against his face and sweeping all the hair off his forehead.

Gu Zhiyue rested his chin on the soft window ledge. "It really is the height of summer. Even the wind at night is warm."

Gu Shuoyan asked, "That younger boy from the Luo Family is all right now, isn't he?"

"He's definitely fine now. He can even go out and have fun. It looks like he's recovered pretty well these past few days, but he still needs to be extra careful with his condition." Gu Zhiyue turned to look at Gu Shuoyan. "Shuoyan, does our family know any specialists in heart problems?"

"Why? You want to help him?"

"He looks about my age. Maybe it's sympathy between people the same age. Besides, we're friends now, so I want to see if I can help him a little."

"Since you've asked, how could your big brother not help? Our family has plenty of connections. I'll ask around for you over the next few days, or get Mom and Dad to help too."

"Okay. Thanks, Shuoyan."

Gu Shuoyan waved a hand before putting it back on the steering wheel. "What's there to thank me for? Isn't this exactly what we build connections for?"

"Then I'll wait for good news."

Gu Shuoyan changed the subject. "Our second brother has finished filming his new drama. He'll be back in a few days. You might even get to see him before school starts."

Gu Zhiyue clicked his tongue. "I've been back for almost a month, and the family's finally getting a member refresh."

"Refresh." Gu Shuoyan couldn't help laughing. "That's a pretty funny way to put it."